QB Mark Sanchez To Visit Bears, Have The Cowboys Moved On?

Everyone that loves the NFL has had their eyes on the state of the Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks this offseason. It's a position room full of fascination as many people have been waiting for the Tony Romo saga to end, one way or another. While it appears that that particular storyline has no finality in sight, there is some news regarding a quarterback coming off the Cowboys roster... Mark Sanchez is visiting the Chicago Bears.

Is the relationship between Mark Sanchez and Dak Prescott enough to justify bringing Mark back to Dallas for 2017?

Why is that important? Whatever Dak likes, we like. I hate cauliflower (it's gross both visually and in taste), but if Dak Prescott came out and said cauliflower was the greatest food in the world well you can bet your bottom dollar that I'd be drinking the cauliflower kool-aid.

Dak's affinity for Mark isn't justifiable to the point that it can be the only reason in bringing Mark back, but considering that all the Cowboys are going to conceivably have behind Dak is Kellen Moore (who re-signed earlier this week) then it's certainly worth kicking the Sanchize tires.

At this point Prescott, Moore, and the what-is-going-to-happen-with-him Romo are the only quarterbacks under employ by the Dallas Cowboys. Will the Cowboys braintrust add a rookie to that mix? Will another veteran be brought in, even as just a Training Camp arm? Will the Cowboys reunite the best duo we've seen since Rob and Big in terms of Dak and Mark sometime soon? Only time will tell, and when it does we'll have you covered as always here at Inside The Star.

Tell us what you think about "QB Mark Sanchez To Visit Bears, Have The Cowboys Moved On?" in the comments below. You can also email me at RJ.Ochoa@SlantSports.com, or Tweet to me at @RJOchoa!

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RJ Ochoa: What evidence do you have that Dak was close to Sanchez in a QB sense? I have heard that Romo is a QB guru who studies the details of QBs mechanics and could easily be a QB coach someday. I have also heard something similar about K Moore. I remember college QBs on the Boise State team saying K Moore asks questions that no one has even thought of. So why wouldn’t these two QBs be advising and analyzing Dak as much as Sanchez in 2016?

Their relationship was actually even discussed during the Sunday Night Football game that the Cowboys played against the Buccaneers. NBC’s Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth discussed how Dak said that Mark was the first person that he goes to on the sidelines.

It’s logical to assume that Romo wasn’t all that invested in helping Dak, especially once he got healthy and wanted his job back. For all the things we love about him, Romo has a reputation of being competitive and even hostile with other quarterbacks on the depth chart.

If true, I wouldn’t want him on my team if I were a coach or GM. The idea is to get better and win at all costs for each player and the team. T Romo’s job in 2016 was to recover from his injury and to help Dak Prescott adjust to the NFL and play as best he can. To the extent he didn’t kill himself to help Dak, he is not someone you want on your team. You can put your ego in a box. If you can’t do this you should not be on the team. T Romo may need to think seriously about retiring as he may not be able to remain a # 1 QB because of his age/physical limitation/prone to injury/etc. but he could still be a good backup which would also make him an advisor to the starter and one of his key rolls. If I was Dallas I would get rid of Romo as he in not the type of player you want on your team if you want to build towards success. Also, I question his ability to be a coach if he is unwilling to sacrifice himself for the best interest of the team.

The book says if you are a contender, try to have a veteran backup QB who has won games in the NFL, particularly so that you might still win a playoff game if your starter goes out. Never more true than when Bernie Kosar came in for injured Aikman in the 1993 NFC title game, and iced the game with a strike to Alvin Harper.

Sanchez has won playoff games as a starter, and despite his hard knocks in the league, seemed like a good move when Dallas signed him. Then he sat all year and had no reps in Linehan’s offense, and when he played in Week 17 it showed.

Dallas seems indifferent at best on him now. If you are Sanchez you’re not too high on going to camp and losing the #2 job to a guy who has mastery in Linehan’s system. You will sign somewhere with better chances for you.

So each may oddly be viewing the other as a last resort. If Sanchez comes to camp, then Dallas found nobody else credible & Sanchez found no takers with a better situation to offer.

I actually think Sanchez would show better with a camp and more reps in this offense. But I don’t know that for sure, and given Dak’s durability I’m pretty good with Moore at #2 – if he has recovery from the leg and a good camp.

If another veteran presents on waivers or something, you’d have to believe he’s good enough to hand the #2 job to – otherwise put your chips on Moore & don’t screw with his development by demoting him.

Cowboys Sign WR Devin Smith, Former 2nd-Round Pick

The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly signed Receiver Devin Smith, previously with the New York Jets, to a futures contract. Smith was a 2nd-round pick, 37th overall, in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Before going pro, Devin was a college teammate of current Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott, Rod Smith, and Noah Brown. They were all members of the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes team that won the National Championship.

Thus far, Smith's NFL career has been marred by injuries. He has suffered two ACL tears in the same knee and only been able to appear in 14 games. He was waived by the Jets last summer and was not with any team last season.

Overall, the 2015 class of receivers has been disappointing. Amari Cooper has been a star and other later-round picks like Tyler Lockett, Stefon Diggs, and Jamison Crowder have been good. But the other big names of the class, such as Kevin White, Breshad Perriman, and DeVante Parker, have not lived up to the hype.

The Cowboys are known for trying to reclaim players who once had high draft status and bad starts to their careers. They are clearly hoping to cash in on Smith's previously perceived potential, which had him projected as a possible first-round talent at one time.

DeMarcus Lawrence Named Top Free Agent Of The 2019 Class

Much has been made about the Dallas Cowboys 2019 free agent class. Dallas has a ton of cap space moving forward, but they are going to "have" to pay many of the key players on their roster over the next two offseasons in order to keep their young core together.

Of course, when you're drafting, that's the goal. To draft so well that when your own players become free agents, you go ahead and pay them to keep them around, rather than overpay on the free agent market for external players.

One of the major pieces the Cowboys will have to retain this offseason is defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. And while Cowboys Nation often thinks of Lawrence as underrated around the league, the NFL has caught onto his importance as he enters free agency this Spring.

ESPN.com ranked their top 10 free agents for 2019, with DeMarcus Lawrence clocking in at number one, over elite players like Jadeveon Clowney and Le'Veon Bell.

ESPN's top 10 free agents for 2019 and what Le'Veon Bell should be looking to command based on previous measures. https://t.co/aJ7H1n001t

DeMarcus Lawrence is going to command big time money, likely even Khalil Mack-type money. But the fact of the matter is that he has earned it. Lawrence has been the heart and soul of the Cowboys defensive line the last two seasons, and the most consistent edge player on the team as well.

Not only has he been an effective pass rusher, but DeMarcus Lawrence also plays with a relentless motor against the run that can sometimes be rare to find in those premier pass rushers. He really is a jack of all trades at defensive end, and should be priority number one for the Cowboys this offseason.

Thankfully, I can't imagine the Cowboys not retaining DeMarcus Lawrence and extending him in the coming months.

When it Mattered Most, Cowboys Offensive Line Protected Dak Prescott

Throughout the 2018 NFL season, one of the major story lines surrounding the Dallas Cowboys was how frequently Dak Prescott was taking sacks. It's an area that the Cowboys will have to look at in the offseason to better protect their franchise quarterback moving forward. In the playoffs, however, Dak Prescott and the offensive line were much better at keeping their prized possession upright than they were in the regular season.

In the regular season, Dak Prescott was sacked 56 times for an average of 3.5 times a game. There was only one game where he wasn't sacked at all, way back in week two against the New York Giants. Four times this season, the Cowboys' quarterback was sacked five or more times. The New Orleans Saints got him for a season high seven times.

According to Pro Football Focus, Dak was "kept clean" -- not pressured -- on 63% of his drop backs during the regular season, which ranked 25th in the NFL. When kept clean, Prescott completed 74.1% of his passes, which was good for 5th in the NFL during the regular season. He was under pressure 37% of the time, which was the sixth highest rate in the NFL and his completion percentage dropped to 52.6%, still good for 10th in the NFL. It was better than Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, and Baker Mayfield.

During the playoffs, Prescott's "kept clean" percentage rose from 63% to 68% and he was only sacked once in each game. The one sack against the Los Angeles Rams probably shouldn't have been called a sack as the referee blew the whistle because Prescott was "in the grasp"...

...of his offensive lineman.

During the playoffs, the Cowboys offensive line kept the pressure off of Prescott at a better rate, allowing him to be pressured on only 31.9% of his drop backs. Meaning he was kept clean at an improved rate from the regular season at 68.1% of his drop backs. This while playing against two teams that are really good at rushing the passer. The Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks both finished in the top half of the league in sacks this season and feature players like Aaron Donald, Jarran Reed, and Frank Clark who all had double-digit sacks.

As we know, pressure rates and sacks aren't all completely on the offensive line. The quarterback, wide receivers, and the play calling all factor in, but the Cowboys are trending in the right direction with their pass protection. A full offseason for Connor Williams in the Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning program, better health for Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and -- fingers crossed --Travis Frederick, should all help the offensive line play at a higher level heading into the 2019 season.

It can't be overstated how important it will be to get Travis Frederick back into the fold this season. Joe Looney was good, and that might be overstating it a bit. He was not noticeable on most plays during the season, but getting your All-Pro center back will tremendously help the offense in every facet of the game. Frederick's one of the smarter players in the NFL, who helps everyone on the offense to see the blitzes and calls out the protections. Both his mental and physical ability will be a welcomed site when the Cowboys begin practicing in the offseason.

With another year of growth for the quarterback and for the young pieces along the offensive line, and with a full offseason for Dak Prescott to grow with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Blake Jarwin, the Cowboys should be better next season at keeping the quarterback clean.